Membership Duties and Responsibilities
Preamble Owing to confusion regarding the roles of officers and members in MUVGDC 2012 (Miami University Video Game Design Club 2012), it was deemed important to write a policy document that spelled out the roles of officers and members. Many of the things outlined in this document are reiterations of the Constitution (established in 2009). Others clarify the unique agendas and policies of MUVGDC 2012. While these policies are not strictly constitutional, they are built on constitutional principles and are thus important for the successful implementation of MUVGDC 2012. When something is a reiteration of a constitutional principle or is established based on constitutional principles, the appropriate principle will be cited. Note: MUVGDC will be used when referring to Video Game Design Club, Miami University as a campus club. Likewise, MUVGDC 2012 will be used when referring to the 2012 version of the club. ASG is used when referring to Miami University’s Associated Student Government. Group Goals and Agendas As a student club at Miami University in Oxford, OH, the constitutional goals for MUVGDC are summed up in Article II of the Constitution: : “purpose of MUVGDC is to provide an opportunity for Miami University students who are interested in video games and video game design to build community, make games and network with professionals in the field of electronic gaming.” MUVGDC 2012 has likewise adopted an additional goal as part of its unique brand, something that we hope will set us apart from past and future iterations. This brand, established on November 3rd, 2012, is summed up in the following vision statement: : "MUVGDC 2012 focuses on the educational aspects of video game development and design within a progressive methodology." The mindset behind this vision statement is clarified on the Brand page. Within the organization is also an implicit goal to create at least one game per school year. MUVGDC 2012 has decided to accomplish this by the end of the school year in Spring 2013. A production schedule has been established in order to try to reach this goal. This schedule can be found in the Detailed Production Schedule. Levels of Membership There are three levels of membership in MUVGDC 2012. These are: : ● Executive Board Members : ● Project Managers : ● General Members Only Executive Board Members and General Members are listed explicitly in the Constitution. Project Managers are unique to MUVGDC 2012 and are not afforded the same constitutional protections as Executive Board Members. Details for each level of membership are explained in the following paragraphs: Executive Board Members Executive Board Members are defined in the constitution and consist of the following roles: President, Vice President, Treasurer, and Secretary. The following has been adapted from the Constitution, Article V: Rules Incumbent On All Board Members Expectations incumbent on all executive board members are as following: : ● MUVGDC shall take priority over all other organizations and student functions, except for those involving religious, academic, family events,holidays, and emergencies. In this case, the Executive Board Member must notify the remaining officers at least one week in advance of the event. : ● Executive Board Members are expected to arrive no later than one hour prior to an event to aid in setup, unless specified otherwise by the President. : ● Executive Board Members are expected to attend all events, meetings, officer meetings, and other activities required by this constitution and/or the constitution of ASG. : ● All Executive Board Members are required to surrender any keys, equipment, and/or funds currently in their possession at the end of their service as an officer. Executive Officers Executive officers are as follows: President The President shall serve as head of the organization. The President will: : ● run meetings : ● oversee the allocation of work : ● supervise the fulfillment of office requirements : ● be mindful of member status : ● be watchful of anyone that may harm the well-being of the organization : ● have regular contact with the faculty advisor : ● organize events and meetings : ● fulfill other necessary organizational tasks : ● delegate these duties to other officers as needed. Vice-President The Vice-President will assist the President in the completion of presidential duties. The Vice-President will: : ● keep regular contact with the members of the organization : ● answer questions and listen to the ideas/concerns of organization members : ● act as a mediator between the President and the rest of the members : ● send out periodic updates : ● be in charge of creating agendas and meeting PowerPoints at the delegation of the President : ● attend to any additional duties assigned by the President or Faculty Advisor Treasurer The Treasurer is in charge of financial management. The Treasurer will: : ● keep a detailed record of all purchases and deposits : ● make deposits, check requests, and funding applications : ● attend the annual ASG mandatory funding meeting : ● keep tabs on the status of organization accounts : ● attend to any additional duties assigned by the President, Vice President, or Faculty Advisor Secretary The Secretary shall keep a detailed historical record of organization activities. The secretary will: : ● take official congressional minutes of all officer and member meetings, including roll call : ● keep these minutes in a binder or other approved organization method : ● take semester inventory of all club-owned equipment and supplies : ● be in charge of the upkeep of any websites, forums, and documents of the organization : ● attend to any additional duties assigned by the President, Vice President, or Faculty Advisor Project Managers A unique feature in MUVGDC 2012 is the existence of Project Managers. These positions are based on the IGDA Curriculum Framework and consist of specialists in the areas of Game Design, Game Programming, Visual Design, Audio Design, Interactive Storytelling, Game Production, and Game Studies. They do not currently enjoy constitutional force, but are implemented via Article VII in the Constitution which states: : “Committees will be organized and developed according to needs and issues as they develop.” Managers are chosen by the President based on perceived skills in their associated domain. The following descriptions were adapted from the IGDA Breaking In website. It is important to note that many of the traits are ideal and will depend on the strength of management applicants. With that in mind, it is suggested that these are values that managers seek to embody instead of hard-and-fast rules. Rules Incumbent On All Project Managers Project managers operate semi-autonomously. This means that while they are free to make decisions related to performing the duties of their office, decisions that change the design, scope, or form of the game or the club must be approved by the Producer (unless the constitution states otherwise). It probably helps to think of officer duties as a “black box”. While there are many ways to wire a black box to turn on a light bulb, what matters in the end is that the light bulb lights since few will actually see the wiring (of course, one must consider sound engineering principles if the light is to light properly or stay lit). In other words, as long as you deliver the desired product according to the schedule set by production, it typically does not matter how you get there provided your methodology is sound. Managers are also responsible for making sure that they carry out their role responsibly. If they are involved in other aspects of the game, it is (typically) desired that they surrender those outlying aspects if it hinders their role as manager. For this reason, managers can only manage one domain (in ideal circumstances). If there are not enough managers to perform roles, management roles can be outsourced or free and/or licensed assets can be used. Project Manager Roles Project management roles are as follows: Producer (Game Production) The Producer is in charge of production of the game and in MUVGDC 2012 is also the club president. IGDA describes the following key traits for the producer role: : ● an ability to schedule and budget : ● doing what it takes to help the team complete a game on time and on budget : ● serve as the “public face” and protector of both the game and the game design team : ● create and maintain documentation relevant to the game : ● communicate with all members of the team : ● settle disputes between sub-teams : ● learn to communicate with and speak the lingo of various teams In terms of MUVGDC 2012, the Producer is the final authority on all things related to the game and the maintenance of the club. Since the producer must communicate between the other departments, significant changes to the game or club policies must be approved by the producer before being implemented. Game Designer (Game Design) The game designer makes decisions related to both issues of playability and player enjoyment. They also: : ● make the blueprint for the best game they can given constraints (schedule, technology, etc.) : ● create and edit the game design document in conjunction with the appropriate teams : ● work with the quality assurance team in issues surrounding playtesting to address areas of concern : ● familiarize themselves with their targeted genre and keep up-to-date with that genre : ● make decisions appropriate to the scope of the project :: ○ in other words, they do not add to the scope unless the producer approves Lead Programmer (Programming) The Lead Programmer is in a middle position between programmer and production. For this reason, they communicate closely with the game’s producer and represent the interests of the programming team. They also: : ● divvy up responsibilities to each member of the programming team : ● make technological and design decisions related to their domain : ● make scheduling decisions that correspond to those decisions decided upon by the producer; this is done in conjunction with production, art, and design managers. : ● possess knowledge of several programming specialties : ● set and review their own schedule and those of their peers : ● notify the production team of any missing or improperly specified tasks : ● be in charge of structure and implementation of the game’s code Art Director (Visual/Animating Arts) The Art Director has some familiarity in the areas of the visual and/or animating arts. They also serve as an inspiration for the rest of the art team. Skills related to art director include: : ● familiarity with multiple tools, technologies, and methods : ● providing quick solutions to various artistic problems : ● communicating suggestions in an uplifting manner : ● working with production and design to make materials inline with the production schedule : ● defend, motivate, and negotiate for the artists : ● attend meetings and manage people : ● may possibly spend less time actually developing art for the game (as needed) Audio Director (Audio Design/Composition) This management role consists of two specialties: Sound Engineering and Composition. The role of the Audio Director is to make sure these two domains are implemented optimally. Sound Engineering consists of making the non-musical audio aspects of the game. It also includes: : ● creation of both ambient and event-related sound effects : ● working with design and programming to determine the best execution for given sound : effects : ● working with voice actors : ● spending time refining the quality of the sound : ● being familiar with new audio technologies and experimenting with said technologies where appropriate Composition is related to the musical aspects of the game. It also includes: : ● having the ability to produce music appropriate for the game (based on genre, hardware, etc.) : ● ability to work with the latest composing and recording software : ● familiarity with cinematic scoring to create the appropriate emotional response : ● familiarity with synthesizing and sampling : ● familiarity with physical instruments : ● familiarity with technology in general : ● music negotiation abilities (in the case of licensed music contracts) Fiction/Screen Writer (Interactive Narrative) The fiction/screen writer is in charge of the game’s fiction and all on-screen textual elements. This role includes: : ● designing the fiction for the game : ● writing voice overs and dialogue : ● scripting scenes for introductions and transitions : ● writing text appropriate for the genre (interface menus, dialogue trees, etc.) : ● working with designers to understand all possible player paths : ● working with designers to maintain proper balance between the game’s drama, mechanics, and fiction : ● familiarity with databases for non-linear dialogue : ● help with voice actors acting out their lines Business Manager (Business of Games) The purpose of the business manager is unique to MUVGDC 2012, although the proper operation of the role includes several areas that intersect with both the business of games and business principles in general. Some of the roles of the business manager include: : ● help in establishing MUVGDC 2012’s unique brand and its implementation : ● working closely with production, art, and the club treasurer to advertise, promote, and market MUVGDC 2012 and the game : ● conducting business-related research as requested : ● assisting in quality assurance and making sure the final game is prepared for publication Research Committee Head (Game Studies) The Research Committee Head’s role is to assist those who want to involve and ally themselves with MUVGDC 2012 and yet may or may not want to fully involve themselves in the game development pipeline. The Research Committee Head’s job is to work with production and other associated MUVGDC 2012 departments, as well as professionals and faculty at Miami University to identify and solve problems and research questions related to games in MUVGDC 2012 and other associated departments and sectors, including those at Miami University, the local community, and the gaming industry. The details for this position will hopefully be finalized in January 2013. General Members By definition, every member is a “general member”. In order to qualify for the base level of membership, Article III of the Constitution states that an individual: : ● must be an undergraduate or graduate student of Miami University : ● attend one game-building event and member meeting each semester : ● possess general respect and good attitude toward other members, executive board members, and the faculty adviser Since meetings in MUVGDC 2012 are structured so that each meeting is a game-building event and member meeting, a person must attend only one meeting per semester. However, extra consideration will be given to members who exceed this limit, including further levels of ranked membership. Criteria for this ranked membership will be implemented in January 2013 based around whatever is deemed best to complete the final game. Project Committees and Obligations Project committees are based around the areas represented by project managers: game production, game design, programming, visual/animating arts, audio design/composition, interactive narrative, business of games, and game studies. Members choose the committees that they are interested in allying themselves with and are obligated to perform the roles associated with that committee as determined by the project manager in conjunction with the production schedule set by production. While members are free to come and go from committees as they please, incentives and rewards will be designed and implemented in January 2013 for exceptional work in each committee. Some of these incentives and rewards could include exclusive access to events (such as pizza parties), preferential treatment in the game credits, and other unique perks (for example, being able to ask questions if a guest lecturer comes to speak). Details for these perks, rewards, and incentives are forthcoming. Processes for Addressing Suggestions and Grievances The following are constitutional procedures for dealing with membership concerns. Article III, Section E states the following procedures for dealing with rogue general members: : ● In the event a member is acting in a way deemed inappropriate by the Executive Board Members or Faculty Advisor, said member may be banned from any and all future organization events. This action will be used at the discretion of an Executive Board Member or Faculty Advisor. A banned member can only have their ban lifted by a majority vote of the Executive Board and approval of the Faculty Advisor. Article V, Section B states the following procedures for dealing with Executive Board Members who do not fully comply with the stipulations of their office: : ● The Vice-President shall assume the role of the President if the President is unable to fulfill their duties for their term. : ● In the event of filling vacancies for the Vice President, Treasurer, and Secretary, nominations for the vacancies will be taken from the organization’s members. A special meeting will be held promptly to elect the officers. :: a. In the event that an Executive Board Member fails to meet the expectations of their office, they may be placed in a probationary period by majority vote of the remaining officers and approval of the organization Advisor. : ■ The Probationary Period will be defined by the organization President (or Vice-President if the case calls for it) and Advisor, depending on the severity of the situation. : ■ At the end of the determined probationary period, the executive board member in question may be removed from office by a majority vote from the remaining officers as well as approval of the organization Advisor. In addition to these stipulations, all decisions that change the scope and design of the final game for MUVGDC 2012 must be approved through the appropriate project manager and in turn by the producer. Depending upon the nature of the decision, it might either be implemented immediately (if it fixes a particular design flaw, it is deemed necessary for the flow of the game, etc.) or placed in a file to be voted on for the next production cycle. Intentionally ignoring this process can be interpreted as defiance and the appropriate procedures for either general members or executive board members might be followed if deemed appropriate. In addition, project managers who defy this process can lose their position at the discretion of the producer.